Trade Unions to launch protests against UPA policies

Kochi, Dec 9 (UNI) Terming the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government's economic policies as anti-worker and anti-poor, All India Trade Union Congress President Gurudas Das Gupta today said the trade unions would launch two forms of protest -- one inside Parliament and the other in the streets -- from December 14 to protest the UPA policies.

The UPA government's policies were pro-rich and pro-globalisation and the trade unions had called for an all-India strike on December 14 against these policies, he told reporters here.

On the two bills in the banking sector that were in consideration, he said the Left parties would oppose the bills on restructuring the bank system and also to raise Foreign Direct Investment in private banks to 73 per cent. If the FDI was increased in private banks, the foreign institutions would misutilise the profit-making process in private banks, he added.

Regarding the move to amend labour laws, Mr Gupta said that the government move for liberal changes in the laws would invite reckless capital investment and would be against the interests of the labour class.

When asked about Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram's economic policies, he said Mr Chidamabaram was ''blind to the distress of the common people.'' He had put in more reforms in the insurance and banking sectors rather than mitigating the problems of the common people, he added.

Regarding the proposed TATA small car factory at Singur in West Bengal, which had raised protests both in that state and also in Parliament, Mr Gupta said the Bengal Government was ready to talk with Trinamool Congress leader Mamta Banerjee, who had raised strong protest against the Left government. The agriculture land was given by the farmers of their own and very good compensation was given to them.

UNI MA PN1757